Lot 132
TEW NAI TONG
b. Selangor, 1936 - d. Kuala Lumpur, 2013
BEIJING OLYMPIC GAMES 2008, 2008
Signed 'NAITONG' (lower left)
Oil on canvas
122cm x 92cm
PROVENANCE
Private collection, Kuala Lumpur.
Accompanied with certificate of authenticity
ESTIMATE RM 18,000 - 32,000 |
This is a kind of Rah-Rah-Rah celebratory work on China’s success in organizing the 2008 Olynpic Games and the triumph of the human spirit among the 10,942 athletes from 204 participating nations in 28 sports in the pursuit of the Olympic ideals of Citius, Altius and Fortius, which is Latin for ‘Faster, Higher and Stronger.’ China topped the medals tally for the first time with a record medal haul of 51 golds, 21 silvers and 28 bronzes.
Tew Nai Tong, who was among the 250 artists who took part in the marathon painting of the 888-feet banner tribute to the China Olympic organisers, was among those selected in the large Malaysian delegation prior to the Olympic Games to present the banner to the China Olympic Committee chairman, He Zhengliang, in July. It was the brainchild of Datuk Vincent Sim, the art impresario of the International Art Expo Malaysia, which celebrated its 10th anniversary lasat yaer. He sponsored the delegation there as rewards and also to paint their impressions of the preparations and places they visited in China. The 91,000-capacity China Olympic Stadium, dubbed the Bird’s Cage, is the focal point with a selection of national flag emblems as floorboards, and with Nai Tong’s floating figures on top – some flying to greater heights while others diving (descending) into the whirl of competitions. Nai Tong’s floating figures, often naked, are one of his favourite to represent freedom to act and from encumbrances.
Tew Nai Tong studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art in Singapore from 1957-1958 and furthered his studies at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts (1967-68). He had had several solo exhibitions since his first at the British Council in Kuala Lumpur in 1964f culminating in his major survey given by the National Art Gallery titled Odyssey in 2007. Hugely versatile, Nai Tong could paint in watercolours and oil on a variety of subjects and also sculpt. His awards included the 2nd Prize in the Chartered Bank mural design competition in 1964, the Shell Best Award (watercolour, 1981), Esso Best Award (1982), Dunlop Best Award (watercolour, 1983), and the Asia Art Award in Seoul, South Korea, in 2009. For 23 years, he had taught at various art academies namely the Malaysian Institute of Art (1969-1980), Central Academy of Art (1982-1985) and the Saito Academy of Art (head, Fine Art, 1986-1988) before he decided to go fulltime in 1992. |
